On this day in pro wrestling history (August 11): Verne Gagne vs. Lou Thesz for AWA title, first ever G1 final
By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com
1935 – In Waterloo, Iowa; Otto Kuss beat Earl Wampler by countout, George (Rube) Harben beat Bobby Stewart by dq and Louis Thesz drew with Whitey Hewitt.
1966 – Lester Welch defeated Sputnik Monroe in a tournament final in Tampa, Florida to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title.
1967 – Mr. Wrestling defeated El Mongol for the Georgia Heavyweight Title in Atlanta; In Chicago, Illinois at the International Amphitheatre, AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Lou Thesz, Devils Duo Angelo Poffo & Chris Markoff beat AWA Tag Team Champions Larry Hennig & Harley Race dq, Dick the Bruiser beat Johnny Valentine, Wilbur Snyder beat Blackjack Lanza dq and The Destroyer beat Eddie Sharkey
1972 – In Denver, Colorado; Wahoo McDaniel & Don Muraco beat Larry Hennig & Dusty Rhodes, Billy Robinson beat Ivan Koloff, Rene Goulet beat Bull Bullinski and Ramon Torres beat Big K; in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; NWA Champion Dory Funk Jr. vs Florida Champion Paul Jones, Southern Champion Unmasked Zodiac vs Ron Fuller, Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens vs Hiro Matsuda & Robert Fuller, Tony Garea vs Taurus and Corsica Jean vs Scott Casey
1973 – In Chicago, Illinois at the International Amphitheatre, The Crusher no contest Superstar Billy Graham, Wahoo McDaniel beat Ivan Koloff, Ernie Ladd beat Moose Cholak, Sailor Art Thomas beat Ric Flair, Jimmy Valiant & Baron Von Raschke beat Bob Ellis & Reggie Parks and Greg Gagne beat Bobby Heenan
1980 – Bill Irwin defeated Bill Dundee in Memphis, Tennessee for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title
1985 – In St. Paul, Minnesota at the Civic Center; AWA Tag Team Champions Road Warriors no contest (The Long Riders) Bill Irwin & Scott Irwin, Curt Hennig & Rick Martel beat Fabulous Freebirds Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy, Nick Bockwinkel beat Greg Gagne, Sgt Slaughter beat Larry Zbyszko and Tom Zenk beat Rick Renslow
1986 – Steve Simpson defeated Buzz Sawyer in Ft. Worth, Texas to win the World Class Television Title.
1987 – In Memphis, Tennessee at the Mid South Coliseum; AWA Champion Curt Hennig beat Jerry Lawler, AWA Tag Team Champions Boris Zhukov & Soldat Ustinov beat Wahoo McDaniel & DJ Peterson, Jeff Jarrett & Billy Travis beat Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond dq, Rocky Johnson beat Black Prince via forfeit, Kevin Kelly beat Mitch Snow and International Champion Bill Dundee beat George Barnes
1989 – Jeff Jarrett & Matt Bourne defeated Cactus Jack & Sheik Braddock for the USWA Tag Team Title in Dallas, Texas.
1990 – D.J. Peterson & The Trooper (Del Wilkes) defeated Wayne Bloom & Mike Enos for the AWA World Tag Team Title in Rochester, Minnesota. Peterson & Trooper would be the final AWA Tag Champions. Also on the card, AWA Champion Larry Zbyszko beat Harley Race dq, Buck Zumhofe beat Jonnie Stewart to win AWA Light Heavyweight Title and Jake Milliman won a battle royal to give Larry’s Legends the victory in the AWA Team Challenge Series for $100,000; Brian Lee & Don Harris defeated Rex King & Joey Maggs for the USWA Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee.
1991 – Masahiro Chono defeated Keiji Mutoh to win the first ever G-1 (Grade One) tournament in Tokyo, Japan.